Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Swann said it’s also disappointing the NDP government, along with other provinces, chose to reject the federal government’s December offer of significant new money for home care and mental health, along with a 3.5 per cent annual increase to health transfers. Premiers want a bigger yearly hike to the health transfer, though New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador broke away from other provinces to strike side deals with Ottawa. “I just don’t get it. Why would we look a gift horse in the mouth and reject it?” said Swann. “It’s really unconscionable I think that these premiers are posturing around this stuff and not getting on with what is critically needed.”

Swann said it’s also disappointing the NDP government, along with other provinces, chose to reject the federal government’s December offer of significant new money for home care and mental health, along with a 3.5 per cent annual increase to health transfers.

Premiers want a bigger yearly hike to the health transfer, though New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador broke away from other provinces to strike side deals with Ottawa.

“I just don’t get it. Why would we look a gift horse in the mouth and reject it?” said Swann.

“It’s really unconscionable I think that these premiers are posturing around this stuff and not getting on with what is critically needed.”

Why doesn't Sarah Hoffman do her job? She has been in the job for long enough. She needs to ensure that there is timely access to services and supports. She needs to provide mental health beds and psychiatrists to families in crisis. Why do we have to go public and raise the public consciousness when this is the job of the health minister and the GOA? It's ridiculous.

Citizens need to complain politely to the health minister (without the disgusting pictures that I have noted on the Calgary Herald Facebook page that should be immediately taken down.). When there is no response from Alberta Health they should take to the newspapers. If the journalists won't yap about the problems then go to social media. Write on a blog. Write thousands of blog posts so that you get to the top of every search engine. And then yap until the end of time until the culture in government changes to one of service rather than arrogance, apathy and entitlement.We were tired of this junk with the PCs. And sure as hens make chicks we're not going to stay silent about this junk with the NDP.

Just look at the lack of progress since we hired the NDP folks. What has the health minister been doing? Sitting on her rump? She should get off her rump and change the stasis in the system to give citizens the help they need.
http://calgaryherald.com/news/politics/wait-time-strategy-still-a-work-in-progress-says-alberta-health-minister#

But Liberal Leader David Swann said he’s seen few signs of progress since the NDP took office in May of 2015, and the government’s reporting on wait times makes it difficult to put together an accurate picture of the long-term trends.

The most recent statistics posted to the government website, for the second quarter of 2016, show that 90 per cent of patients received hip replacement surgery in 37.7 weeks, knee replacement surgery in 45.9 weeks and coronary bypass surgery in 15.3 weeks.

Figures for the first quarter of 2015 show that 90 per cent of hip replacements were done within 36.9 weeks, knee replacements in 45 weeks and coronary bypasses within 19.7 weeks.

***

Meanwhile the problems in the continuing care system continue like the Titanic capsizing. Why can't we have the 2,000 long term care beds in the public realm? If the NDP can waste billions of dollars on the payoffs to the power companies that were done for no damn reason other than the incompetence of the GOA then why not make the beds? Or is this a promise for the next provincial election?
http://calgaryherald.com/news/politics/wait-time-strategy-still-a-work-in-progress-says-alberta-health-minister#

Meanwhile, Alberta Health Services’ first-quarter report for 2016 show there were 1,570 patients waiting in the community or acute and sub-acute hospital beds for continuing-care placement, up from 1,547 in the same period a year earlier.

***
Instead of fixing the crisis in the continuing care system there is no change in the system just as there are no changes in the child welfare system. Meanwhile the mental health system shows no signs of improvement.

The NDP government’s promised policy to reduce wait times for health procedures remains incomplete and under wraps more than a year after it was first proposed.

Health Minister Sarah Hoffman said in a recent interview that the government is making improvements to the health system but a comprehensive plan remains under development.

“Overall, the big-picture strategy is still a work in progress,” she said.

“Obviously it’s incredibly complex and it impacts all areas … all parts and facets of the health-care system.”

The NDP committed to implement a “wait-time measurement and wait-list management policy to address long wait times in the health-care system” in the health ministry business plan that accompanied the new government’s first budget in October 2015. Hoffman said at the time that the development process would be lengthy and there would be no “quick fix.”

Canadian Institute for Health Information data for 2015 released last spring showed Alberta falling short on meeting the benchmark of having 90 per cent of patients receiving care within a certain time period for procedures including hip replacement, knee replacement, hip fracture repair and cataract surgery. However, the province was at or near the Canadian average for all procedures except cataract surgery, where it was tied for second-worst jurisdiction in the country.

Hoffman said the government has succeeded in alleviating waits for general surgery, internal medicine and ear, nose and throat procedures as it works to develop its comprehensive plan.

Alberta Liberal leader David Swann DAVID BLOOM / DAVID BLOOM

But Liberal Leader David Swann said he’s seen few signs of progress since the NDP took office in May of 2015, and the government’s reporting on wait times makes it difficult to put together an accurate picture of the long-term trends.

The most recent statistics posted to the government website, for the second quarter of 2016, show that 90 per cent of patients received hip replacement surgery in 37.7 weeks, knee replacement surgery in 45.9 weeks and coronary bypass surgery in 15.3 weeks.

Figures for the first quarter of 2015 show that 90 per cent of hip replacements were done within 36.9 weeks, knee replacements in 45 weeks and coronary bypasses within 19.7 weeks.

Meanwhile, Alberta Health Services’ first-quarter report for 2016 show there were 1,570 patients waiting in the community or acute and sub-acute hospital beds for continuing-care placement, up from 1,547 in the same period a year earlier.

Swann said to decrease health-care waits, the government must focus on ensuring best practices are being followed when procedures are performed and put resources into new continuing-care spaces, as well as home care, primary care and preventive medicine.

The NDP has ramped up spending for affordable housing — including seniors’ facilities — but the effect has yet to be felt, he said.

Swann said it’s also disappointing the NDP government, along with other provinces, chose to reject the federal government’s December offer of significant new money for home care and mental health, along with a 3.5 per cent annual increase to health transfers.

Premiers want a bigger yearly hike to the health transfer, though New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador broke away from other provinces to strike side deals with Ottawa.

“I just don’t get it. Why would we look a gift horse in the mouth and reject it?” said Swann.

“It’s really unconscionable I think that these premiers are posturing around this stuff and not getting on with what is critically needed.”

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Julie AliThe wait times for surgery are not going to change any time soon. There will be continued problems with the mental health system as evidenced by the recent case we have heard about that I write about here: There will be no attempt by the NDP folks to change the culture of the GOA because they aren't interested in this matter. What they are interested in is re-election. However their poor performance to date in not only health care but in the child welfare system where the case of Serenity indicated that lack of transparency and no action is ongoing means that they can't even fix the problems that they yapped about with reference to the PCs. Meanwhile in the continuing care system the 2,000 long term care beds aren't happening. We have only had a few long term care beds in the private sector that were previously approved of by the useless PCs. The NDP are continuing the PC strategy of dumbing down the provision of continuing care services by increasing the number of supportive living facilities instead of long term care facilities. Most Albertans are oblivious to the failings of the GOA in terms of oversight of the continuing care system until they are forced to put their family members into these places when the deficits become clear and the families have to become the boots on the floor that the GOA is not. All this junk was ongoing with the PCs but the NDP told us change would happen. The only change that happened is that the NDP became the new PCs-the NDPCs. So I guess we're stuck until the next election where we hire new staff.

Darryl BoykoFor the people that believe that an ndp government is creating good for your province you would most likely believe that a colonoscopy would be better preformed by the janitor at a McDonald's restaurant

Julie AliMarie Aitken AHS is the tail wagging on the dog of Alberta Health. Why would we blame them when it is Alberta Health's responsibility to ensure that services/supports are being provided in a timely fashion?

Julie AliTerry Mcaleese I have always been curious about the fast streaming of the workers versus ordinary citizens. Why is it that workers get the fast stream and everyone else waits? Isn't this discriminatory or preferential treatment?

Julie AliElaine Wiley We are already paying major bucks with our taxes. There needs to be cuts at AHS. Why are we paying for two health authorities? If we had Covenant Health removed we would not be paying for a second bureaucracy and executive tier that we do not need to pay for. Instead of doing the hard work of cuts and efficient use of tax dollars we have the NDP folks do what the PC folks did which is nothing.

Tim CameronI read a good comment today that said "I wonder if Notley, Phillips and Hoffman were born condescending and obtuse, or did they hone those skills while working closely with each other. Lol. It certainly applies after Phillips comments yesterday about Alberta still standing, I would like to add detestable to the list of adjectives that describe her.

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Never Again

Donna StievaterWell, a previous generation of young Americans (mine) helped to end the war in Vietnam. This generation’s youth just might succeed in getting assault rifles out of the hands of civilians!

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Students Release PSA for March for Our Lives#WhatIf young people hold the power to change our country's gun laws?

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The time has come. We will no longer wait for someone else to take action to stop the epidemic of mass school shootings that has become l too familiar. On March 24, we will take the streets of Washington DC and our communities across the country because our lives actually depend on it. Join us. #marchforourlives

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***This is just a note to say that we are getting your emails, your DMs and your tweets. If you don’t hear back right away don’t worry-get organizing. We will be in touch with resources to support you and your marches around the globe (that’s right, the globe). In the meantime let’s keep this momentum going. This movement is unstoppable! #marchforourlives....Image via @voxdotcom

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